Still Need a Costume?

Hey--we all procrastinate from time to time, so we're not going to give you a hard time! But instead of resorting to wearing last year's costume and praying no one will notice (they will!) or drawing some lame cat whiskers on your face with a black eyeliner, check out the MAC website for some real makeup magic. Their last minute ideas look anything but. Our favorites are Crackin' Up--wear it with a torn baby doll dress from last season and you'll look like an antique doll gone astray or Zombie Chick--just add that blank Pamela Anderson stare guys love.


The website tells you what products you'll need so you can DIY. Or go to the store for some professional help.

Happy Halloween!

Got a great costume idea you're willing to share? We would love to hear it!

What We're Reading Now

As if the sight of the pool boy isn’t enough to get us all hot and bothered, we picked up Juicy Mangos a collection of dirty short stories edited by JSG’s good friend, Michelle Herrera Mulligan—she wrote one, too! It’s the perfect vacation read: a true a page turner with lots of scenes that make our toes curl up in ecstasy AND statements about love that are thought-provoking and give us lots to talk about with the girls over dinner. Plus since they’re short stories, we can actually finish one before it’s time to reapply our sunblock!

To buy it online, click here.

The Go-With Anything Jewelry

We advise you to travel with as little jewelry as possible since the more you have the more you are likely to lose. We’re still crying over a bird of phoenix turquoise necklace that our mom gave us when we were 15 that we left in Miami.
We love these Rebecca Norman skinny gold bangles: they’re chic, sexy, go with any outfit—day or night—and are guaranteed attention getters. In fact, every trip we take, our friends always fight over who gets to wear them!

To buy them online, click here.

On Our Radar: Taolloween!

Going to Vegas always involves some sort of dress up: short skirts, gold lame and sequins. But Tao Nightclub at the Venetian has two great parties coming up to celebrate our spookiest--and often naughtiest--national holiday. Saturday night is their Insanity Ball where you can win $5,000 for best costume: easily enough to cover the cost of your trip. Taolloween night on Wednesday promises to be Vegas' sexiest Halloween Bash with Guest DJ Temptress (read porn star) Tera Patrick. Don't show up before midnight and don't come without a costume. It IS the one night (or in this case the two nights) you can get away with looking trampier than Britney Spears--hey that's a good costume idea right there! After all, last time we were there we ran into K-Fed; maybe you'll have better luck!

Check back next week for last minute costume ideas!

Check out Kiki's website for more information at www.myspace.com/sneakykiki

Hair of the Dog?

As much as JSG wishes we could promise to eradicate your hangover all together on your girls’ getaway, the only thing we know that will 100% do that is to drink less the night before (Which is as annoying as our dermatologist telling us that the secret to the fountain of youth is staying out of the sun!) Instead, through our combined years of drinking, here’s what we’ve learned can help ease the pain.
1. Gatorade. We prefer classic green since it’s taste is the least offensive .
2. Emer’gen-C. Mix with water and drink down to get more than your day’s supply of Vitamin C as well as a host of other sutff that’s good for you.
3. Miso soup. It’s salty, has a little bit of protein and goes down oh-so-good!
4. Sitting in the steam room. It’s a low-impact way to sweat out all the booze.
5. Bloody Mary. Make that two.

Any other suggestions? We want to hear them!

At Your Service

It may cost a little extra, but one great advantage to staying at a hip hotel is the concierge service. Don't be shy about calling on the concierge for help--that's what he/she is there for. A concierge knows the newest restaurants, the best nightclubs, or the trendiest boutiques. A truly great concierge knows the maitre-d's and the bouncers and can often get you on that all-imporant "list." You can even call a concierge ahead of your stay and ask for help with dinner reservations, spa appointments or finding tickets to a sold out concert. We stayed at the Sagamore Hotel in South Beach recently, but for two nights, Tuesday and Wednesday. Now, any club is hot on a Saturday, in fact the Sagamore itself throws a great party on Friday and Saturday; but it's trickier to find the models and their entourage on a weeknight. Chief concierge, Madeleine Kelly, put us on the list at the Delano (oh, yes, this oldie-but-goody is hot again). We bypassed the long line of want-to-bes outside and went right in. What a party! One last thought: you may still have to pay the cover; but at least you saved time waiting in line.

Not staying at a hotel with a concierge? Our friend Danny, who travels a lot for work, told us this neat trick: He calls the local Prada store and asks the sales associate for recommendations. Try it! It really works!

The Secret to Making Blowouts Last

We love to get blowouts before our weekends away—as any woman well knows, once your hair looks hot, getting ready is a quick makeup application and cute dress away (sometimes easier said than done, but that’s for another post). The hard part is getting the blowout to last all weekend long--though days at the pool or beach and nights dancing. Corinna, a stylist at one of our favorite salons--the AKS Salon in New York shared her trick—it really works!
Before getting in the shower, roll the top part of your hair in three medium-sized Velcro rollers from the front back and put on the shower cap that the hotel so kindly provided you with. The steam will actually be your friend and work to revive your hairstyle. Put on your makeup, spritz with spray before unrolling and you’re GTG. Thanks, Corinna!

Got your own secret to making a blowout last? We want to know!

It's Not Vegas, But...

On Friday we told you we were headed down to Atlantic City. And, well, it's not Vegas, but AC is getting there. The crowd at Mur.Mur on Saturday night at the Borgata was young (primarily under 30), attractive and fun. The club was full, but not so packed we couldn't walk without spilling our drinks. Everyone we talked to was either from Jersey or Philly--we actually kinda missed the Eurotrash. DJ AM was awesome as usual. He knows how to read a crowd and definitely works hard for his money. We stayed out dancing til the wee hours of the morning.

Would we tell our friends from New York to go? Definitely--with one caveat. We took the Greyhound bus from NYC. While it was fine on the way down, the bus on the ride back was crowded, stinky and loud. It left us wondering: Couldn't AC do a Jitney service a la the Hamptons? We would have gladly paid a few bucks more for a bus that left on time and a more civilized experience. But if you want to gamble, stay up all night dancing and wear something a little more risque than you might in your hometown without the time, expense or hassle of a flight to Vegas, A.C. is worthy of a night or two.

UPDATE: We just learned Amtrak is introducing direct train service from NYC to AC by early '08. Roundtrip tickets are expected to cost between about $105 and $165. All aboard!

To make a reservation at the Borgata, click here.

Next Up On Our Radar: Is AC Cool or Not?

JSG last went to Atlantic City for the Morissey concert on a Tuesday night over the summer. While the show was awesome (Girlfriend in a Coma? We love the Smiths!), we were perplexed by Atlantic City. On one hand, it's definitely trying hard--Harrah's has opened up a really cool indoor, adults-only lounge-y pool (shown above) that turns into a club on weekend nights and a fab Red Door spa; Caesar's now has a super-hip Buddakan restaurant, and a number of the hotels are adding or just added brand new wings, like Caesar's and Borgata. But on the other, the crowd just wasn't there yet. We definitely brought the median age down by 100 years and were in the minority of those not wearing sweatsuits!
The verdict: We need to give it another shot on a weekend night. So that’s where you’ll find us come Saturday night—at Mur.Mur at the Borgata to hear DJ AM spinning tunes. We’ve basically been a groupie of his since we heard him at Pure at Caesar's Palace in Vegas. Who else can flawlessly mix songs from Coldplay, The Stones, Hall & Oates, Etta James and then back again to No Doubt? We danced the night away to his music without ever checking the time or noticing our toes were in pain. He is a true master!
We'll report back next week. And if you see us at the Borgata, come over and say Hi!


To check out DJ AM's My Space page and hear a sampling of his music, click here.

Packing for Your Girls' Getaway

We laughed at our friend Heidi on our recent Vegas trip because she packed a second suitcase just for her shoes! She brought--count ‘em--18 pairs. Yup! And guess how many she wore in 3 days? Four, if we count her flip flops.

Shoes are heavy, awkwardly shaped, which makes them hard to pack, and, as Heidi learned the hard way, you don’t really need that many pairs. JSG suggests planning your outfits around 2 or 3 pair of shoes—generally a cute pair of sandals you can walk in for daytime, metallic high-heeled sandals or slingbacks and your favorite pair of neutral (black, grey or brown) pumps. (We gave up bringing sneakers a long time ago. No matter how good our intentions, we never do make it to the gym on vacation.) You’ll definitely want two pairs of going out shoes, because inevitably, after one late night out of dancing, your dogs will be barking. Strapping on those Jimmy's for a second night in a row will be about as appealing as a tequila shot the morning after an all night bender.
Check out these shoes for inspiration.

Click here to buy them online.

Music to My Ears

The JSG loves playlists for our iPod! We've got ones for the beach, for the plane, and for the gym (but we never really make it there when we're away with the girls). Below are the tunes we listen to while getting ready for dinner, when you'll often find us crowded around the mirror putting on our war paint. So, pour your glass of wine, plug in your flat iron, and pull out your make-up. We promise these songs will get you and the girls revved up for a night on the town!

1. Into the Ocean- Blue October

2. She Moves in Her Own Way- the Kooks

3. Love Song- Sara Bareilles

4. You Don't Know What Love Is- White Stripes

5. Tonight I Have to Leave It- Shout Out Louds

6. Ruby- Kaiser Chiefs

7. Laid- James

8. Big Wheel- Tori Amos

9. Young Folks- Peter Bjorn and John

10. Lazy Eye- Silversun Pickups

11. All Night- Damian Marley

Got a getting-ready playlist? Share it with us!

Do You Let Guys Buy You Drinks?

Once upon a time, back when we were entry-level assistants, we could barely afford to go out, and we relied on the kindness of strangers--be it a generous bartender or flirtatious gent--to help with our bar bill. But now that we’re in a different tax bracket, we’re not so sure it’s worth the effort. If a guy buys you a drink, he’s buying your time—minimum the 30 minutes it will take you to down it. Now—maybe he’s a hot soccer player from Milan or just finished a stint for Doctors Without Borders in Darfur and you welcome the attention. No question that’s ok.
But the other night at BLT Steak when we were sitting at the bar enjoying our filet and side of creamed spinach, a loud obnoxious group of guys in town for a sales convention offered to pick up our tab. We were torn: let them pay and save the money for next week’s pedi and get stuck talking to them all night? Or pick up the tab ourselves? What would you have done?

Green Get-Aways

Today is Blog Action Day for the environment, so we thought it was time to let you in on a little secret: Not all our trips are about meeting hot guys and partying. Sometimes we like to spend time alone with our girls and do something nice for ourselves. It's even better if we can manage both while spending time at a beautiful, eco-friendly resort.
This past August, we were scheduled to go to Bikini Boot Camp at Amansala in Tulum, Mexico, a short cab ride south of Cancun. We were lured with promises of morning yoga on the beach, hikes and bike rides to the ruins, along with massages, yummy meals of fresh seafood, gauc and salsa and, rumor has it, the best margaritas in all of Mexico (we're not into complete self-deprivation). We were looking forward to staying in a beachfront cabana with a thatched roof with no air conditioning or TV. The payoff is pristine beaches and a vacation that leaves you feeling rested and a few pounds lighter.

Unfortunately, our trip was postponed due to Hurricane Dean, which only confirmed our belief that it's important to take care of the world we live in. Remember the three R's: reduce, reuse recycle!

To learn more about Bikini Boot Camp click here. Maybe we'll see you there!

Topless Pools: Love ‘Em or Hate ‘Em?

On our recent trip to Vegas, we visited the Caesar’s Venus Pool, which bills itself as “European”-style. Reading between the lines, that means bikini tops are optional! We did enjoy this pool more than the larger Neptune one—it’s in a secluded area behind cypress trees, which shield from the desert winds; you must be 21 and over to enter, so there are no little tykes running around; and the waitstaff brings around little treats every so often, like chilled washcloths and frozen grapes. So decadent!

As for taking off our tops, well, tan lines are SO 1986, but while the pool is called “European” style, there’s not exactly a “European” mentality to go along with it. The guys (solidly middle-aged) oggled our naked boobs, which prompted us to put our tops back on in a hurry. On the upside, it was fun to check out the other women across the pool, including a pair of fake tatas that kept us entertained for hours!

Tell us what you think!

Click here for more information on Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.

Flirtiest Lashes Ever

For girls’ nights out, we lurve the look of long, dark eyelashes—think Eva Longoria—but mascara alone just doesn’t have enough oomph. And, as much as we practice, we just can’t get our $1.99 fake lashes from CVS to behave and fall perfectly into place. Our solution? We head to the nearest MAC store and have one of the groovy makeup artists apply the bad boys—completely for free (you just have to buy the lashes). As a bonus, they’ll also apply all your eye makeup, so you’ll have the sweeping dramatic cat eyeliner and perfect gold shimmer shadow to perfect your new femme fatale look.

We recommend the #34 lashes ($11 for a pair). Anything bigger and you’ll risk looking like a drag queen.

Click here to find a MAC store near you.